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A gymnastics club based in a popular leisure centre for more than 20 years will be made homeless if plans to close the site go ahead.
East Kent Acro Gymnastics meets three times a week at the sports hall in Tides Leisure Centre, Deal.
But Dover District Council’s (DDC) cabinet decided last week to close the whole site for nine months as the current operator’s lease is set to end.
It means the sports hall, swimming pool and adjoining tennis courts are all set to shut from April 1 until January 2026 when a new operator is due to take over.
Come January, only the hall and tennis courts would reopen, as work would then continue on a £20 million refurbishment scheme of the swimming pool and gym, which is due to be completed in summer 2027.
But following public backlash, the decision to close all facilities for nine months is to be reviewed by the council in a meeting on Monday (January 27).
Parents say the club “means everything” to their children and the prospect of the nine-month closure could have a huge impact on their mental and physical health.
Mum Suze James says her daughter Darcie, nine, has been attending the club for the past 18 months and she has seen a huge change in her daughter’s confidence.
“She struggles with anxiety and this group has brought her out of her shell,” she said.
“The group means absolutely everything to her which is why we're fighting to keep it.
“Our club is a huge part of the local community, but it’s not just us, there are people who use the badminton court, who play ping-pong here and do aerobics, so they really do need to reconsider the decision.
“To close something like this will mean more kids on the street.”
Grandad Steve Heather, from Walmer, takes his granddaughter Ruby, 11, to the club on Mondays.
Since joining, he says she has gained "a hell of a lot of confidence" and it would be a shame to see that change.
"Before she was always shy, and didn't want to mix with people," he explained.
"But since she's been coming here she has really grown so it would be a shame if it all shuts down because of this.
"She can't wait for Mondays because she gets to come here. Hopefully they can find a way somehow to keep it open.”
While Labour-led DDC has started looking at alternative sites for the club to use, coach Charlotte Lurcock says moving could have its challenges.
“It would be a real shame to try and find another alternative venue because it's not as easy as you think,” she said.
“Some people think we could just go join another club but we do specialist gymnastics that requires certain equipment.
“We've got 40 years' worth of equipment and gymnastics experience so it's not something you can just pick up and move.”
Under the current plan, the site is set to shut for nine months while a new leisure centre management contract is being tendered, with Your Leisure’s current lease expiring on March 31 this year.
The current operator previously confirmed redundancies are being discussed.
More than 1,100 people signed a petition urging a rethink and Conservative members at DDC ‘called in’ the decision.
It means the move will be reviewed by the authority's overview and scrutiny committee on Monday before any action can be taken.
The ‘call-in’ – a process that allows council members to request a decision made by the cabinet be reviewed – was led by Cllr Oliver Richardson, mayor of Deal, deputy leader of the Conservative group Cllr Chris Vinson and Sholden representative Cllr Nick Kenton.
Under the overhaul of the centre, a new six-lane pool, toddler splash zone, and bigger gym are set to be created.
Controversially, however, the complex’s current slides will not be replaced, a move that has sparked disappointment among residents.
Cllr Kevin Mills, Labour leader of DDC, said last week: “The ‘call-in’ is for the closure for nine months, not the provision of a new facility.
“The constitution quite rightly allows for ‘call-in’ and all parties have agreed the constitution so we support the ability to call in decisions and trust this will not delay the provision of a new centre in Deal which is much overdue and needed.”